Soy milk causes breast cancer!?

Options
NenaM812
NenaM812 Posts: 101 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I read an article last night that Soy Milk has a link to breast cancer due to the levels of estrogen in soy and that if breast cancer runs in your family, that you should avoid it. My grandmother had breast cancer, but I LOVE soy milk, growing on almond milk, and HATE HATE HATE regular milk. Has anyone heard this???

Replies

  • innerfashionista
    innerfashionista Posts: 451 Member
    Options
    Everything causes cancer, and I always take those studies with a grain of salt. I can spin anything to prove a point.

    I drink soy milk, and I plan to keep going!
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
    Options
    I heard about it a long time ago. Processed soy products have high levels of estrogen. I'm not a soy person but I think there is research proving almost everything is bad for us. Unless you eat completely organic you are consuming pesticides, growth hormones and many other nasty things.
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
    Options
    I have heard people say soy is evil and others that is the miracle food....do some research for yourself to see what makes sense for you...if almond milk is a suitable substitution then go with it until you make a better decision.
  • brattyworm
    brattyworm Posts: 2,137 Member
    Options
    you should do more research. I do know breast cancer feeds off estrogen, but did you know that fat also produces estrogen. So if the soy milk helps you keep your weight to where it should be and you eat healthy, you lower your risk of getting it. That doesn't mean there's not a chance. If you are really concerned about the breast cancer, there is a test for a genetic marker to see if you have a higher risk due to your family having had it before.

    But you should definitely research more on anything you read once. If there's not a documented study to back it up then its just like everything else on the inet, just a statement to get people roweled up.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    Options
    There is a ton of information about the dangers of soy all over the internet. Just Google terms like "Soy is toxic" and "Soy is dangerous" and you'll get loads of results. I think a lot of those research results are controversial and debatable, but it is true that soy acts like estrogen in the body. So, it would make sense that soy might contribute to the same cancers that an overabundance of estrogen would.

    Personally, I am allergic to soy - it makes my mouth red and itchy, so I don't eat it.
  • rosnnj
    rosnnj Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    I haven't heard this but I know soy products in general can cause birth defects when taken in high consumption. Ii found that out through a friend having the experience. You should check the cancer society website for info to see if they have any warnings because a lot of these research studies are not solid.
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
    Options
    The cure for cancer, can cause cancer (radiation) so I don't pay much attention to those studies. Next month it will be something else they will be claiming causes cancer.
  • Pril2000
    Pril2000 Posts: 254 Member
    Options
    http://wellnessletter.com/html/wl/2002/wlFeatured1102.html

    UC Berkelely has this to say:

    "Breast cancer: The high intake of soy foods in Asian countries has long been credited, at least by some researchers, for the lower rate of breast cancer among Asian women, compared with women in countries where little soy is consumed. But some confusion arises when you look at genistein, the main soy isoflavone and a plant estrogen. Does it protect against breast cancer or, on the other hand, promote the growth of existing cancer cells? Some studies have suggested the latter. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic recently reviewed all the evidence and concluded that soy has not been shown to fuel breast cancer cells. "If breast cancer patients enjoy soy products," they concluded, "it seems reason-able for them to continue to use them."
    Whether soy actually protects against breast cancer is still unknown."


    I googled soy milk and breast cancer and found that most sites say the same thing. Asian countries eat soy as a staple, but they also eat less meat, less dairy and exercise more on the whole than Americans. Basically, you shouldn't be afraid of soy milk. There's no direct link as yet that says that soy milk causes breast cancer or accelerates it.
  • Pril2000
    Pril2000 Posts: 254 Member
    Options
    Ps. You can always drink goat's milk. It's easier to digest than cow's milk and tastier.
  • shelli1982
    shelli1982 Posts: 133
    Options
    From what i've read, soy is fine in moderation... but look for yourself, don't give up without looking at a LOT of research. It might not hurt to get the opinion of your Dr?
  • Zeromilediet
    Zeromilediet Posts: 787 Member
    Options
    Food choices are a personal thing because everyone's genetics, tastes, and lifestyle is different. Hormones such as estrogen are in many foods--some naturally occurring (like soy) and some added (growth hormones and others injected in dairy cattle--ends up in milk). If you totally love soy milk to the exclusion of others, then look for organic soy milk. Many studies comparing Asian consumption to US don't consider the different processing or sources of soy, the Asian method providing the benefits sought.

    Personally I like to stay away from foods that require so much processing to enable consumption, but that's your choice.
  • NenaM812
    NenaM812 Posts: 101 Member
    Options
    Thanks for all the info y'all! I'm definitely NOT gonna get rid of my Light Vanilla Silk that easily =)

Categories